Church News

Harmony Grove completes year-long mission project

A few of the Harmony Grove Baptist Church monthly workers stand in front of their hand-crafted sleeping bags. They are, from left, Dorothy Hilbush, group leader Hilda Taylor, Lorraine Rainier, Betty Williams, Frances Blake and Betty K. Kennon.

On the fourth Thursday of each month, a group of ladies, and usually the pastor, make sleeping bags at Harmony Grove Baptist Church near Topping.

Sometimes they start from scratch with a quilt, blanket and sheet, which are sewn together and then turned and tacked to form a sleeping bag. Men’s used ties are used to keep the sleeping bag rolled up and a “Plan of Salvation” is sewn into the flap of the bag so the person in the bag can read this every night before he goes to sleep.

For over 15 years, the ladies have collected the needed sheets, blankets, ties and quilts to be used for sleeping bags. Some of the ties even come from a member who is in Florida helping with their church’s food closet. Recently, members have been going out to thrift shops and attending backyard sales to get the nice used comforters, which are warm enough to be turned into sleeping bags of all sizes.

Hilda Taylor is the leader of this project and all ladies who come bring a bag lunch and stop at noon, have grace, and enjoy each other’s fellowship—then it’s back to work until 1:30 p.m. Sometimes there is a special dessert that is made by someone and shared with others.

This year was the best! The group—Hilda Taylor, Ginny Armstead, Frances Blake, Faye Carroll, Joan Curtis, Dorothy Hilbush, Dottie Jenkins, Betty K. Kennon, Lorraine Rainier, Sonja Samples, Sonja Shy, Betty Williams and Pastor Roger Collier—made and delivered 116 sleeping bags to the Daily Planet in Richmond. The sleeping bags were put into a trailer and delivered by Roland Pierce along with over 100 ditty bags prepared by the children, which contained a stocking cap, gloves and candy.

The Daily Planet officials said they look forward to the call from Harmony Grove that these articles are on the way, and what day they would like to have the delivery because it takes a little while and a few hands to unload the trailer.

What started as a small project to help the homeless in Richmond, is now ongoing and church members look forward to it 11 months of the year—the group takes a break in December after all the bags are delivered!

“We say, ‘If you can thread a needle, you can help us, and if you can’t thread a needle someone else will do it for you!’ ” said a program spokesperson.